Pressure-regulating valve



May 15, 1928.

M. A. CLARK PRESSURE REGULATING VALVE Filed Jan. 1.4. 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 A Trap/v5 Y:

' May 15, 1928.

M. A. CLARK PRESSURE REGULATING VALVE Filed Jan. 14. 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 /NVL'NTOR M. A. ZARK hw s WQMLQ v A Tra/PNE Y.:

` hereunto appended.

i Patented May 15, 19,28.

UNITED STATES MANLEY A. CLARK, F TULSA, OKLAHOMA rnrissUnE-nEGULATING VALVE.

Application inea Januari i4, 192e. serial No. 81,139.

This invention relates to pressure-regulating valves, and the preferred form of the invention is a pressure-responsive device adapted for use on a tank, or other receptacle, containing a volatile liquid'.` `This de- Vvice can be used to close a tank, thereby preventing excessive losses due to evapora-V tion of liquid therein, andalso reducing the danger of-ire or explosion by preventing free communication between the interior of the tank andl the atmosphere. The device also serves as a breather to admit air in response to a. vacuum in the tank, and to discharge vapor, or gas, in response to a predetermined pressure in the tank.

One of the objects of the invention is to produce"pressure-responsive valves that are not affected by corrosion, and not liable to adhere to their seats when subjected to the predetermined pressure or vacuum. I have shownhow this can be accomplished by the use of non-metallic materialv in the valves and valve seats.

Another object is to drain the condensate away from thevalves without permitting a flow of condensate to the valveseats.

Further objects are to producesimple and effective means for guiding the valves, limiting their motions and varying their weight,

orany of the other elements connected to the valve chamber.

With the` foregoing and other objects in view, the invention comprises the novel construction, *combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter more specically described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, `wherein is shown the preferred embodimentofthe invention. However, it is tobe understood that the invention comprehends changes, variations and modifications which come wit-hin the scope of the claims Fig. I is a vertical section of a valve ein bodyingthe features of this invention.

Fig II is a horizontal section taken approximately on the line II-II in Fig.l I.

Fig. III is a section on the line III-III in Fig. I. Y

` Fig. IV is an enlarged vvertical section showing one of the valves.

The valve housing is provided at the botextending from the tom with a tubular neck 41 adapted tobe connected to a tank (not shown), and a sim-` ilar neck 2 extends from one side of the housing. A partition is formed between.

the-se lnecks to divide the housing into `two compartments A and B, and this partitionV comprises a lower portion 3 extending from an upright portion 4.(F ig. I) to the neck 2, so as to form the bottom of compartment B, and a higher portion extending from the top of the upright portion 4 so as to form part of the top of compartment B. The partition also includes an upright member l64 portion 5 tothe top of the valve housing.

.A gasket 7 is interposed between aclosure 8 and the upper edges ofthe side walls ofj the housing, this gasket having a member 7 between the closure and the upper edge of the partition. Pivot bolts 9 connect the closure of the housing as shown in Figs. II`

and III, the housing having ears l() to refl y ceive the bolts, and the closure being pro-y vided vvith lugs 11 arranged between they ears. To limit the motion of the closure,` the lugs ll have extensions 1l adapted tol engage a side of the housing when they c`l0- sure is open. `The means lfor securing the closure comprises eye bolts l2 pivotedto the housing, as shown in Figs.' II and III, and provided with nuts 13 adapted to engage lugs 14 which extend from the closure. P designates a pressure` valve adapted to open in response to pressure in the compart-y ment A, and V designates a vacuum valve adapted to open in response to a partial vacuum -in said compartment. One omy objects is to produce valves that are not liable to be affected by corrosion, and I also desire to produce valves that will open freely in response toa predetermined low pressure.

In the preferred forni Of the invention, each valve comprises a disk l5 made'ofnonmetallic material such as-iiber, and 'each valve seat is a ring 16 made of the same material arranged ina recess'in a metallic. holder 17. The fiber, or other non-metallic material, will not vcorrode and it therefore eliminates one of the serious` objections to the use of valves in a low pressure breather. The `top of each valve seat is fiat and it Vco'ntactswitha flat face on the valve, so the iio Each valve holder 17 is ,in the form of a ring provided with a central guide 18 and ribs 19 connecting the guide to the ring. Each valve has a central stem 2O slidably mounted in a guide 18 below the valve. These stems also extend upwardly Yfrom the valves to limit the valve motion. The stem of the vacuum valve V (Fig. I) is adapted to engage the closure 8 while the lower end of Said stem is held by the guide-18 below theivalve. Themeans for limiting the pressure valve P comprises a bolt 21 extending downwardly from the closure 8 and adjustably secured thereto by nuts 22, as vshown in Fig.` I.

Metallic disks 23 are associatedwith the` valves `to` perform two functions4 They stiften the non-metallic disks 15 and provide an adjustment to vary, or predetermine, the pressure at which the valves are to be opened..` These metallic disks are removable and any desired number may be secured to avalve. v To illust-rate this feature I have shown two disks above each valve and one below, the zstem 20 being extended through the disks and piovideclwith nuts 2l whereby they are'clamped:4 tothe non-metallic disk-:15, as shown most clearly in Fig. IV.

In a device of this kind some of the vapors or :gases will condense in the valve housing. and I have shown'how to dispose of the condensate without delivering it to the valves and valve seats. The member 3 of the partitiontlig.` I) is inclined downwardly fromv the upright memberd to the neck i2, andthis inclination is continued through the neck, thereby providing a sloping surface on whichcondensate is drained from the compartment B to the atmosphere, or to a breather line (not shown) connected to the neck 2. The compartment A has a bottom wall E25 'inclined downwardly to the neck 1, as shown in F ig. I, to permit drainage oit condensate to the neck 1 which is to be connecte'dto the tank on. which the device is used. Furtherinore, the Valve seats 16 eX- tend upwardly from the partition to prevent a flow of condensate to their upper faces whichlcontact with the valves and each valvel is larger in diameter than its seat The tubular neck 1 lies at the bottoniofthe valve housing and the neck 2 is located atl one side of the housing, entirely below the closure 8,l and the partition is olfset sothe closure can. he opened to expose the valves without disturbingr any of the pipes or other connections to which the necks will'he attached.

The two weighted valves areheld by gravity in their closedfpositions, and the valve P is lifted in'response to pressure in the compertinent A5 while the other valve is lifted in response to a partia-ltvacuum inthe same compartment. Attention is directed to the arrangement whereby these results are ac eomplished. The vacuum valve V and its seat are located in the compartment A. and this valve is lifted by atmospheric pressure in the `compartmentli; The pressure valve I) and ils seat are located in the compartment B," and this valvc is opened by super atmosphericpressure in the compartment A. 'Ihe valves are thus lii'ted in response to directly opposite conditions. and gravity is reliedupon-,to normally retain both valves in theiry closed positions. The valves are located at opposite sides ol the tortuous partition wall, and the portion of' the wall at one ot lthe valves is inverted with respecttothe portion at the other valve.

It is-thereliore unnecessary to use springs, 1 or other uncertain-contrivances to regulate the valve action. The predetermined weight carried by each valve isan unchanging.five-A tor, yso the simple and inexpensive valves can be relied upon for an indefinite period-` asa safety device to admit a1r past thevae` uum valve in response to alow pressure in the tank andl to discharge gases past the pressure valve inresponse to a fpredeter-` mined pressure in the tank.

I claim:

l. In a pressure responsive valve devicea valve housing having a movable closureat the top and two vent openings in said heusf ing, a partition extending troursaid'closure.

at the top toone side ot, said housing and one edge of said partition being in hermeti-4 cally sealed engagement Withthc inner tacey of said closure solas to prevent free commu nication betweenisaid vent openings, said partition comprising an upper member having an inlet port, a loweranember having a discharge port. a vacuum valve closing said inlet port, and a pressure valve closingsaid discharge port, both valves beingmovably held by gravity in their closed positions and the axes of said valves being oil-set` verti: cally,\and the .upper edge ot' saidvpa-rtition being located between the axial lines of the said two valves whereby both ot saidfvnives are exposed when said closure opened.

2. In a pressurc-respcmsive valve device, a housing having vent openings, a closure movably secured to said-housing, a tortuous partition wall between said openings and' dividing said housing into two compartmentssaid partition wall extending from, said closure at the top toioneside Ofsaid,

said partition Wall, the ortion of said parof said partition being located between the tition Wall at one of tile valves being reaxial lines of the two valves whereby both curved 'with respect to the portion at the of said valves are exposed when said closure 10 other valve location. each of said valves is opened. 5` being yieldingly held in its closed position In testimony that lI claim the foregoing I by gravity alone, and the axes of said valvesV hereunto aix my signature.

being off-set vertically, and the upper edge MANLEY A. CLARK. 

